K-Culture
How Korean Gen-Z's Compliment
Daebak is an outdated Korean slang - try this new slang that means the same thing instead: 폼 미쳤다!
15-min Lesson Goals
A Bit of a Lesson
Watching Korean content has been proven to be one of the most effective ways to learn Korean, and one of the most sensational Korean dramas this year is "The Glory".
In addition to its popularity, the series has left viewers with a few catchphrases. Let's review some scenes and learn some simple phrases used in conversational Korean, and see where else they can be applied.
1. 야! (Ya!)
The characters argue a lot - and I mean a lot - in this series. One of the things they say most is "Ya," which means "Hey" in Korean. Don't worry though, it's not only used during life-or-death fights. Just like "Hey," Koreans use this word as a way to call their friends.
Remember that this is an extremely informal way of addressing someone, so don't use it with anyone you need to be formal with.
2. 괜찮으세요? (Gwen-chan-eu-se-yo?)
In one scene, Yeo-jeong (right) scares Jae-joon (left) by driving her car extremely fast towards him, causing him to fall to the ground. She then gets out of the car and runs to him, saying "괜찮으세요?" sarcastically.
This question means "Are you okay?" You can use this phrase when you see someone in trouble. It's generally a nice thing to say, as long as you say it without the sarcasm.
3. 멋지다! (Meot-ji-da!)
This is undoubtedly the most remembered catchphrase from the series. If you say "멋지다" (Meot-ji-da) followed by a name, people will know the reference (complete it with the handclap action!).
"멋지다" (Meot-ji-da) means "That's amazing / cool." You can use this sentence when you see a painting, a nice view, someone's clothes, or even that person who gave you lifelong trauma in school standing on stage.
Note that unlike the direct translation "That's amazing," "멋지다" is specifically used for things that are visually amazing. For example, you can't say "멋지다" after drinking an amazing hazelnut latte.
Overall, learning Korean through Korean dramas is an engaging way to pick up the language, and "The Glory" has given us some fun phrases to try out. Remember to use them appropriately in different situations!